Blackburne, Livia. Dreams to Ashes: The 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre. Nicole Xu, Illus. Lerner/Carolrhoda, 03/2025. [40]pp. Nonfiction. Trade $19.99. 979-8-7656-2722-8. GRADES 3–6. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
This informational picture book explores the Los Angeles Chinatown massacre that took place in October of 1871, explaining how Chinese nationals travelled to California during the gold rush of the 1840s only to face dehumanizing prejudice and physical violence culminating in passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. In Los Angeles, violence between community rivals led to a gunfight during which a police officer was shot and a rancher who intervened was killed. A mob then surrounded the buildings where the gunfight took place and attacked the residents, ultimately killing eighteen Chinese men (ten percent of L.A.’s Chinese population at the time) and destroying homes and shops. This horrible attack then faded from history. In 2021 as anti-Asian post-Covid hate crimes were increasing, the city of L.A. began planning a memorial to commemorate the attack. This beautifully illustrated book closes by reminding us that remembering our difficult shared history helps insure that we can keep it from repeating. Includes a historical note and bibliography. Includes California-specific content.
Rachael Reiley—Independent